A/N: This is what happens when I am home sick and have nothing to do except wallow in self pity. The idea popped into my head and wouldn't leave me until I wrote it down. I am attempting to make this into a slight comedy, because I like writing those, but the first chapter had to be intense in my mind. Other chapters will be funny! I promise!

Chapter 1

Past to Present

Young Eugene Fitzherbert snapped the book shut, a dramatic look plastered on his face,

"And that concludes the story of the infamous Flynn Rider." He whispered to the awestruck children seated in front of him. They had been on edge ever since he read the first sentence aloud, but one was more anxious than all the rest.

Little Iris Fitzherbert was only six years of age at the time, and more adventurous than anyone. She often found herself in deep trouble with the headmistress, doing something that 'young ladies should not do'. This often included scrambling up trees after her brother, tackling some of the older orphan boys into the mud, and hiding small frogs in the girls bunks after they teased her for playing with the boys all day, instead of sitting inside and doing hair with the likes of them.

"Genie?" She called out, hesitantly, after all the other children had scrambled off to their bunks. Eugene flinched at his nickname, if any of the other twelve year olds heard that, he would be dead meat.

"I told you not to call me that!" He hissed at his sister in a hushed whisper, only to take back his words when she took a couple steps away from him, fearfully.

"S-sorry…" She muttered, taking a strand of her brunette hair and twirling it between her fingers.

"Nah, it's okay," Eugene whispered, shrugging it off, before pulling his sister into a tight hug, "Now what do you want?"

Iris paused, leaving her brother to wonder why she was so careful.

"I want to go away."

That caught Eugene completely off guard. Letting his sister lose of his grip, he held her at arm's length, his hands resting on her shoulders. "What…why?" He asked her, looking into those innocent, brown eyes.

"I don't like it here anymore." She stated simply, crossing her tiny, stick like arms, with a stubborn look on her face.

"Iris, we can't just leave! I mean it's not like-"Eugene began, only to be cut off by her little voice.

"Flynn Rider would do it."

He froze. Was she really pulling that card on him? However, it seemed to be working, Eugene thought over the reasons why his sister wanted to leave the orphanage so badly.

There were a few; the headmistress was a tyrant, a truly evil woman, who would often starve the children so she could buy the latest dress from the city. They had no new clothes of their own, only dull, gray rags that hung limply from their bodies. Stitches and patches littered the thread bare fabric .She would often separate siblings from one another for weeks on end, simply because she wanted to. The lies she fed them about their pasts were horrible, Eugene had to tell his sister not to listen to her on many occasions. Then, she would sell off some of the children as slaves, simply to receive more money to add to her large safe. The list of causes was too long to say the rest.

"Can we Genie? Please?" Iris begged, grabbing her brother's hand with her own tiny fingers.

Eugene stopped and looked at her hand within his own, thinking, was this the best? Tightening his grip, the twelve year old uttered one word that would change everything.

"Yes."

Eugene sat up in bed, startled by the sudden dream memory. Running his fingers through his thick, brown hair, and sighing as he flung his feet over the side of the bed.

"Eugene?" Muttered someone sleepily beside him, glancing over at his bed partner, he was met by two green orb like eyes, "What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked, worry tinting her voice.

They had been married for over a year now, Eugene, or Flynn, as he was called by everyone but his wife, was learning from the King on how to run the kingdom after he was gone, and Raplunzel had a lot of catching up to do with her true mother and father. Yet, they always made time for each other, dancing in the town with the citizens, or just walking around the castle grounds.

Rapunzel sat up, leaning back on her hands, "You okay?" She whispered, only after he hadn't answered her.

Flynn shook his head, and reached over, gently cupping her cheek in his hand, "I'm fine, it was just a dream." He told her gingerly, letting their lips meet.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She breathed, after they parted. Eugene got up from the bed and began to pull on his shirt.

"No, it's okay." He answered blankly, buttoning the buttons on his shirt, one by one.

"Are you sure?" She ventured still, pressing what information she could get out of him.

"No." This time his tone sounded a bit annoyed, and grieving.

"Eugene, you know that you can tell me any-"

"I said no Rapunzel."

The princess was taken aback by his use of words, her husband rarely called her by her first name; he normally got her attention with nicknames that he would randomly come up with.

The ex-Flynn Rider let out a sad sigh, "Sorry…" He uttered, still keeping his back to her, only tilting his head to the side, "I'm gonna go outside for a while, 'kay Blondie?"

Rapunzel let out a slight sigh, "Alright…do you want me to come with you?"

"Nah, it's okay." He replied, waving off her question with a shake of his hand, "Just go back to sleep."

With those words, he left the room.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

The air was cold and bitter against his tanned skin. Sweeping wind brushed his hair across his face, slightly stinging from time to time. Eugene rubbed his hands briskly up and down his forearms as he trudged along the cobblestone path through the town.

The townsfolk were not awake yet, nor would they be for about an hour or so, leaving him alone, with just the sky, and his thoughts.

Lost in the abyss of him mind, Eugene was drawn out sharply by an angered voice, piercing through the morning air.

"Of all the damn places to look, I end up here…what joy! How do I even know he's here, I'm mean, all I have is a crumpled wanted poster with some screwed up nose." The voice stopped suddenly, the sound of a rock being kick across the ground could be heard from an alleyway nearby. As soon as it stopped, it began once again, "And even then, how will I know it's him? All I know was that someone called 'Flynn Rider' was going to marry the princess! There is only one person I know that would go by that name!"

At this moment in time, Eugene was slightly frightened. He was well aware that the voice, identified as a female, was talking about him from when they stated 'a crumpled wanted poster with some screwed up nose'.

Pressing himself tightly behind a stray barrel, Eugene a waited the stranger to emerge from the ally, soon enough, a young woman stepped into his line of view. She stopped in her tracks, looking nervously around, clearly aware that someone was watching her, he could tell from the look on her face.

She was tall, and thin with long, lanky legs. Her waist length, light brown hair swayed in the wind. The girl bore unusual clothing for a woman; she wore dark brown, skin tight pants, large black boots, and a pale purple shirt that was tucked tightly into a belt. The long sleeves flowed down to her knuckles in a graceful fashion. She couldn't be older that thirteen, maybe fourteen. However, what was most unusual about her was how familiar she looked to Eugene. It was just the way her face was set, how it reminded him of someone, someone he should know.

The girl reached up nervously with her hand and clutched an amulet of some sort; it lay limply on a golden chain. The rock was marvelous, all the colors of the rainbow and more, depending on what way the sun touched it.

Memories flooded back into Eugene's mind, as if the dam that had been holding them back had been broken.

"What is this?" Little eight years old Iris asked, turning the amulet over carefully in her freezing hands.

"I found it in the market and thought you would like it." Eugene stated, now fourteen at the time, "You know, since your name means 'rainbow' and all."

Iris giggled lightly and tackled her brother, sending them both tumbling to the dew spotted grass. "I love it!" She chirped, hugging him, once they were on the ground.

"I thought you would." Eugene laughed in response, helping her to her feet and brushing off all the dirt from her back. Gingerly, he took hold of the chain from her hands, and draped it over her slender neck, "Just remember, Iris," He told her gently, cupping her face in his hands, "No matter where I am, or what happens to me, I will always protect you." He hugged her tightly, and she returned the favor without hesitation.

"And…" The boy started again, holding his little sister at arm's length, and looking her in those shocking amber eyes, "You will al-"

"-ways be my rainbow."

Eugene's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates when the girl finished the sentence. No one else knew that, he told it to his sister when they were alone, on their own, in the forest.

Could she be? No. She couldn't. Eugene had been separated from his sister long ago, he presumed her to be dead. What eight years old would be able to survive by herself, in the forest of all places, for six years? But it had to be her, no one else knew that phrase, no one. Well, there was only one way Eugene was going to find out.

Quietly, he stepped out from his hiding place, and walked gingerly up to the girl, who just so happened to now have her back turned.

"Can I help you, Skinny?" He prodded, scaring the girl out of her wits, for she jumped at least three feet in the air. To his surprise, she spun around with lighting speed, pinned him against the wall, dagger at his throat. For a fourteen year old, she was strong, and fierce. You could see the anger, the willingness to fight for everything, pouring out of those amber orbs that Flynn knew all too well.

"What do you want, stranger?" She demanded, pressing him more sharply back against the wall.

Eugene only laughed, he could always picture Iris turning out like this, head strong and quick to action, that was only counted if she was his sister, but now, he was sure of it.

"Well, come on! Before I slit your throat." She hissed, letting the cool steel of the blade venture farther.

"Really, Iris, I can't believe that you do this to your own brother!" He laughed, looking her straight into the eyes.

Iris, expression softened, it turned from anger, to shock, to fear, and lastly to wonder.

"E-e-Eugene?" She whispered, awestruck, letting the blade clatter to the cobblestone, taking a few staggering steps back from Flynn.

"Now, Rainbow, don't you go and faint on-" Eugene started, only to stop when he noted her sudden swaying, the same expression still on her face.

"Me…" He uttered the last word under his breath, as he watched his sister topple to the floor, out cold.

A/N: Should I continue? Review please! Reviews make me write more, faster!